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White Fang (1991 film)
| screenplay = Jeanne Rosenberg Nick Thiel David Fallon | narrator = Ethan Hawke | starring = | music = Basil Poledouris Hans Zimmer (additional music) | cinematography = Tony Pierce-Roberts | editing = Lisa Day | studio = Walt Disney Pictures | distributor = Buena Vista Pictures | released = | runtime = 107 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $14 million | gross = $34.8 million }} 'White Fang' is a 1991 American Northern adventure drama film directed by Randal Kleiser, starring Ethan Hawke, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Seymour Cassel. Based on Jack London's novel ''White Fang, it tells the story of the friendship between a young Klondike gold prospector and a wolfdog. White Fang is portrayed by a wolfdog, Jed, who also appeared in such films as The Thing (1982) and The Journey of Natty Gann (1985). A sequel to the film, White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf, was released in 1994. Plot In the late 19th Century, prospectors flock to Alaska in search of gold. Among them is young Jack Conroy, who arrives in the town of Skagway, telling fellow passenger Beauty Smith of his search for prospector Alex Larson. Smith and his companions, Luke and Tinker, direct the boy to the Chilcoot Pass. The three men surround Jack and steal his money, but he is undaunted and makes his way to the pass. Jack finds Alex and his companion, Clarence "Skunker" Thurston, at the top of the pass. He introduces himself as the son of Scott Conroy, who died a year earlier, leaving behind a claim. Although Alex and Scott were close friends, the former doubts there is gold in the claim and advises Jack to go home. However, Skunker takes a liking to the boy and persuades Alex to bring him as far as Klondike City, Alaska, after they bury their dead comrade, Dutch. While on their journey, they are stalked by a large pack of wolves. One night, while resting at a campfire, a female wolf named Kiche manages to lure one of the sled dogs (Digger) away from the group, and another wolf appears and chases the dog into the woods. Skunker uses his ammunition to wound Kiche and gives chase to save his dog, but is killed and devoured by the rest of the pack. Later that night the wolves return but are scared off by Jack and Alex using burning branches. The following morning the wolves attack the two men, but they are saved when another sled team arrives with one of the men fatally shooting a male wolf. The injured wolf hobbles back to her den, and her cub remains by her side until she dies. The pup is left to fend for himself. Jack and Alex reach a town where they plan to stay for the winter. When a group of native Alaskans discover the cub, their chief, Grey Beaver, notes his “white fang,” proving the animal is descended from a domesticated dog. Grey Beaver adopts the cub and names him “Mia Tuk", a name meaning "White Fang". As spring comes, Jack and Alex resume their quest, but stop off at the Native Americans' settlement. The chief explains that White Fang has been raised to obey, not to be friendly, but Jack seeks to change that. Jack's chance comes when he is chased and cornered by a grizzly bear. White Fang intervenes, saving Jack's life. Jack and Alex later leave the settlement. Not long after, White Fang is unfairly traded to Beauty Smith he blackmails Grey Beaver for the wolfdog, saying that ownership of a wild animal is considered illegal. Smith and his gang train White Fang to be vicious in order to enter him into illegal dogfights. White Fang eventually meets his match in a brutal fight against a bulldog owned by Smith's archrival, Sykes. Jack happens upon the fight and intervenes in the nick of time. Having earlier reached his father's claim and begun the work of digging for gold, Jack returns with White Fang to the cabin where he seeks to transform White Fang's vicious and territorial nature. Jack's attempts to tame White Fang eventually succeed; both wolfdog and man develop a close and trusting bond. Alex helps Jack mine for gold and they strike it rich with the help of White Fang. One morning, Jack travels to the town to claim proper ownership to the gold when Luke notices White Fang with him. Seeking retaliation and planning to steal the gold, Smith and his men attack the cabin site. White Fang attacks Tinker, who accidentally discharges his gun, wounding Luke. White Fang subdues Smith until he's ordered by Jack to back down. Jack and Alex take Smith and his men prisoner and force them at gunpoint to haul gold ore into town. Alex and his wife, Belinda, offer to take Jack back to San Francisco, but he lets Jack know that city life is no place for a wolf; he must let White Fang run free in the wild. Though White Fang cannot understand why Jack is trying to leave him, Jack's efforts by using a stick (which White Fang hated/feared when he was under Smith) finally succeed in scaring the wolfdog off. Later, just as he's boarding the ship back to San Francisco, Jack realizes that his rightful place is in the Yukon and he decides to stay behind alone and live off the land; Alex congratulates him by saying that it is what Jack's father would have wanted. After a short time, White Fang returns to the cabin site where he and Jack are happily reunited. Cast * Ethan Hawke as Jack Conroy * Jed the Wolfdog as White Fang * Klaus Maria Brandauer as Alex Larson * Seymour Cassel as Clarence 'Skunker' Thurston * Susan Hogan as Belinda Casey * James Remar as Beauty Smith * Bill Moseley as Luke * Clint Youngreen as Tinker * Pius Savage as Grey Beaver * Aaron Hotch as Mit-sah * Charles Jimmie Sr. as Older Indian * Clifford Fossman as Old Timer 1 * Irvin Sogge as Old Timer 2 * Tom Fallon as Prospector * Dick Mackney as Sled Dog Prospector * Suzanne Kent as Heather * Robert Hoelen as Bar Patron * George Rogers as Registrar * Michael Davis Lally as Sykes * Raymond R. Menaker as Shopkeeper * Davis Fallon as Lookout * Michael A. Hagen as Teenager * Diane E. Benson as Kloo-koosh * Robert Scott Kyker as Frozen Prospector 1 * Tom Yewell as Frozen Prospector 2 * John Beers as Sykes' Dog Handler * Van Clifton as Piano Player * Jim Moore as Violin Player * Marliese Schneider as Woman of the Night * Cherokee the Bulldog as Cherokee * Bart the Bear as Bear Reception Critical reception The film received generally positive reviews, with a 63% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Roger Ebert, giving the film three stars out of four, described it as a film that "holds the natural world in wonder and awe", and praised the actors' "authentic and understated" performances. Box office The film produced on a budget of $14,000,000 grossed $34,793,160 in North America. The film was also a particularly large box office hit in France where it had 3,501,373 admissions becoming the 4th highest earning film of 1991. Home media White Fang was released on VHS and Laserdisc on June 12, 1991, then released again for the 1992 re-releases and onto DVD on April 23, 2002. Award * Genesis Award for Feature Film – Family in 1993. References }} External links * * * * * * Category:1991 films Category:1990s drama films Category:American adventure drama films Category:American films Category:English-language films Category:Films about cruelty to animals Category:Films about dogs Category:Films about friendship Category:Films based on American novels Category:Films based on White Fang Category:Films directed by Randal Kleiser Category:Film scores by Basil Poledouris Category:Films set in the 19th century Category:Films set in Alaska Category:Films set in Canada Category:Films set in the Arctic Category:Films set in Yukon Category:Films shot in Alaska Category:Grizzly bears in popular culture Category:Mining in film Category:Mushing films Category:Northern films Category:Walt Disney Pictures films Category:Wolves in film Category:Film scores by Hans Zimmer Category:Film scores by Shirley Walker Category:Film scores by Fiachra Trench